The Ridgewood Blog Brings a Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Upper Saddle River NJ, Governor Phil Murphy announced that Catherine R. McCabe, Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, will be retiring as of January 15, 2021.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Upper Saddle River NJ ,in another case of Democratic immunity ie “white privilege” the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) Action Fund endorsed United States Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05) for reelection. With more than two million members across thirty states, LCV is one of the most prominent environmental advocacy organizations in the country.
Continue reading League of Conservation Voters endorses United States Congressman Josh Gottheimer
Derek Michalski
Upper Saddle River NJ, Wednesday January 29, 2020, twenty seven days after January 3, 2020 discharge/pumping/overflow (or whatever terminology you want to use describing releasing millions of gallons of brown water per week into Pleasant Brook/SaddleRiver) and 4 days after filing consecutive complaint with NJDEP Mr. Roy Otto representing Bergen County Soil Conversation representative visited the site on a clear sunny day. When I asked him why they never show up while Toll Brothers discharges the mud a/k/a “colloidal clay” he couldn’t answer and referred me to his bosses. To be honest I don’t suspect any foul play on his part but it is laughable that in three-year-long period they never visited (to my knowledge) the site during the “discharge activities”. He also advised me to send him any pics of pumping since he wasn’t present during any such activities. I connected him with Lisa Rozner from CBS who was eyewitness of such illegal in my opinion activities. Perhaps I am wrong and perhaps all major developers in the state of NJ hoist their 5 inch fire hoses and pump stormwater into neighbors’ ponds. Perhaps. That’s New Jersey for you. And to those officials who still live under the rock please refresh your memory and please watch Lisa’s program again: https://www.google.com/…/23/bergen-county-brown-streams/amp/
photos by Derek Michalski
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Upper Saddle River NJ, Governor Phil Murphy once again pushed his form of stuck on stupid economics ,today unveiled the state’s “Energy Master Plan”, which outlines key strategies to reach the Administration’s goal of 100 percent clean energy by 2050. In May 2018, Governor Murphy’s Executive Order No. 28 directed the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, in partnership with other state agencies, to develop this statewide clean energy plan and shift away from energy production that contributes to climate change.
by Derek Michalski
Upper Saddle River NJ, WEEKEND UPDATE from “BrownUpper and Saddle River: Unfortunately pumping continues on the site of Toll Brothers located at 19 Meadowbrook Road in Upper Saddle River. The question now is who allowed Toll Brothers (again and again) to release “colloidal clay” a/k/a mud into local streams Pleasant Brook/Saddle River. Is it a part of new “remediation procedure” to get rid of mud from construction site and dump it onto private properties of Toll Brothers neighbors. Who’s idea was that? And please get serious and stop blaming Trump for it.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Upper Saddle River NJ, On August 28, 2019 the following email was sent to Toll Brother by Boswell Engineering lifting the Stop Work Order on that portion located in Upper Saddle River.
Please allow this email to summarize the chronology of this project since the issuance of a Stop Work Orders for this project on July 23, 2019. This email will also rescind the Stop Work Order issued on July 23, 2019 subject to the terms noted below.
Continue reading Apple Ridge Stop Work Order Lifted by Upper Saddle River
“Apparently this situation is nothing new as far as this builder is concerned. Just read the following links and watch the interview with Sierra Club Director Jeff Tittel who has been documenting Toll Brothers’ storm water runoff violations for over 20 years now.”Basically, they appeared to be out of control,” said Bob Murphy, agent for the Canton Conservation Commission. ”Everything that could go wrong went wrong, and they didn’t seem to care.”
Here is the link: https://graphics.boston.com/globe/spotlight/toll_brothers/stories/day2_bar2.htm
”Basically, they appeared to be out of control,” said Bob Murphy, agent for the Canton Conservation Commission. ”Everything that could go wrong went wrong, and they didn’t seem to care.”
“In several communities, Toll Brothers has ignored or paid little attention to the environment and local environmental regulations in its rush to build new homes and maximize profits, according to local officials and court documents. In a lawsuit filed by Schuylkill Township, Pa., the town said Toll flouted environmental rules ”all for the purpose of enhancing their profits.”
Pictured: Chairman of Mahwah Environmental Commission Richard Wolf documenting ongoing pollution at Toll Brothers construction site in Mahwah and Upper Saddle River.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Upper Saddle River NJ, the Ridgewood blog has been covering the mess caused by the Apple Ridge construction site for over a year . While local and state politicians continue to talk of taxes needed for fighting ,”global warming” ,right here in our own back yard a potential environmental disaster is taking place , perhaps even reaching some of the areas drinking water while politicians do absolutely nothing .
Reader sums it all up : “Your local government doesn’t care about you or your property. They’ve allowed Toll Brothers to invade your space, ruin your investment and eventually your health. Shame on them”
photos by Derek Michalski
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Upper Saddle River NJ, Upper Saddle Resident Derek Michalski, accused Toll Brothers, a land developer, of polluting his well water and the stream running behind his home in Upper Saddle River on Friday February 8, 2019.
Toll Brothers is developing the former Apple Ridge Country Club and Apple Orchard in Mahwah.
Continue reading North Jersey Media Says Pollution Issue at Apple Ridge Nothing But Straw in a Storm Drain
Upper Saddle River NJ, Stop Work Orders Issued on Former Apple Ridge and One Lake Street: On Thursday, July 11, 2019, we had a significant rain event with flash flood warnings in effect. Our Construction Official and Borough Administrator were on site at the former Apple Ridge site and witnessed runoff onto Carlough Road. Hay that was in use to restrict runoff, had been swept off the property by the force of the rain and clogged the storm drains. DPW was called in as well. The hay was removed to clear the drains and sand bags placed. A portion of the silt fence had fallen down. This project is under the jurisdiction of the NJ DEP (who has stated they consider the site fully remediated and the matter closed) and the Bergen County Soil Conservation District.
Continue reading Stop Work Orders Issued on Former Apple Ridge and One Lake Street
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Upper Saddle River NJ, over the last year the Ridgewood blog has reported on the run off from the Toll Brothers owned Apple Ridge site . We have run post after post and noticed at the end of the day no one , not even the NJDEP was willing to do anything about it what so ever .
Today we may have found out why . Going back over 3 decades starting with Jim “tax toilet paper” Florio ,Boswell Engineering the engineering firm on the Apple Ridge project has flooded New Jersey politicians with donation after donation. Greasing the wheels of the political process or paying for protection Boswell Engineering has given generously to both side of the isle .
photo courtesy of Derek Michalski
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood Nj, a reader made some strong point promoting what they claimed was “protecting the environment “
“So the problem of carrying food home is a false argument: someone goes to the store and carries their own bags, which are empty, they carry the bags home, full. Whether or not they carry their own bags to the store has NO bearing on what they are carrying home! They are carrying the same weight home whether or not they carry their own bags into the store.
Continue reading Reader asks ,”why doesn’t the Assemblywoman care about cleaning up our environment? : and we ask why doesn’t New Jersey ?
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Upper Saddle River NJ, The DEP continues to delay adoption of new rules upgrading 749 miles of waterways to Category One streams. They have extended the public comment period another month to June 3, providing more time for opponents to organize their fight against the proposal. The C1 designation offers the highest level of protection for water quality.
Continue reading NJDEP Delays Expanded C1 Stream Protections
Pictured: Goose laying eggs on Palm Sunday in the middle of USR pond filled over the weekend by Toll Brothers with heavy construction mud.
by Derek Michalski
Upper Saddle River NJ, Blue Laws violated again by Toll Brothers in Bergen County. Why Toll Brother have no respect for our environment is obviously clear to anyone who followed the story of Apple Ridge a/k/a Preserve? But why Toll Brothers brakes social norm, respect for our believes and our religion is beyond comprehension. Perhaps if Satanism was allowed on the premises of Toll Brothers Bergen Sheriff and Jim Tedesco would act but because Blue Laws are broken almost every other Sunday nobody gives a damn…………..very sad state of Bergen County we are entering, very sad indeed.
Continue reading Blue Laws violated again by Toll Brothers in Bergen County